Forgetting the Snow Child
by control x alt x delete
Summary: And neutral she was. When possible she avoided taking sides. She was not mean, but not nice. She wasn't unjust, but refused to show mercy. She simply was.
1. Mystery

Approximately 17 years ago, a young girl was born into the small village of Snow. Her hair was of the purest white at its roots, and as you neared the ends, streaks of sky and violet gently wormed their way in. Her wide, pupil-less eyes were a pallid mauve, and gazed out at those around her inquisitively. She was called Yukiko; the snow child.

The more the snow child grew, the more she was treated like royalty. She neither enjoyed nor disliked the special treatment. Her preference was to stay neutral.

And neutral she was. When possible she avoided taking sides. She was not mean, but not nice. She wasn't unjust, but refused to show mercy. She simply was.

Perhaps it was the mysteriousness of her being that encouraged others to use respectful honorifics whenever greeting her. Perhaps not.

No one knew her well. For most, the phrase "keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" would have meant something. For Yukiko, it meant nothing. Simply another ridiculous rule that people lived by. "Keep your friends and enemies equally close," she would say before calmly exiting the room.

It was the very same neutralness that caused her the worst luck she had yet to experience.

A precious artifact had been stolen from a room guarded by several ANBU, who were brutally slaughtered in what the villagers called "the start of an epidemic".

Not wanting the villagers to create an uproar, the investigators knew they had to act quickly, and get rid of the threat that someone, or something, posed.

A single hair had been found in one of the lifeless hands of the ANBU. A strand of hair that was whiter than the snow itself with light blue and purple shades that faded from the bottom.

Their prime suspect: Yukiko, the snow child.

And since no one knew her well, though she was an excellent kunoichi, they had nothing to prove her innocence.


	2. Death

That was the day, at the mere age of 15, that the snow child was exiled from her village.

Yukiko had not had any close friends; no one to defend her innocence or prevent her cruel fate. She was completely alone.

And yet, she was not troubled by any of the recent events. In fact, she was calm. Despite her appearances, the snow child was a top kunoichi in her village. She'd been on many missions, most being A-ranked. She knew how to survive. She didn't need her pathetic village.

Instead, the snow child focused her thoughts on walking. The mindless rhythm of the motion was so exhausting she had naught the strength the dwell upon her memories. Just to trudge through what seemed to be endless, unwelcoming hills of white.

* * *

For hours, the snow child did nothing but trudge through the sea of frozen water. Blizzard winds flew past her face, snapping at her eyes and howling in her ears. Her garments had absorbed a considerable amount of the moisture, and the coldness of her clothes sunk deep into her bones, sending a chill up her spine. But the part of her that had subdued the most apparent transformation were her eyes. As she was thrown out, she was full of confidence, convinced that the snow child could—and would—live through anything. Eyes full of hope, and certainty of her survival.

Now her eyes were but empty pools of sorrow, wishing that something would just come and end it for her. It was an emotion she had never sensed before, and it scared her. For the first time in her life, she was frightened.

Few animals could survive here, and she was no exception. Out in the wilderness, mother nature would not make life any easier for her than it was for others or use respectful honorifics, metaphorically speaking. Her odds at survival, she soon realized, where close to zero.

Stripped of all weapons, the snow child had nothing to hunt with if an animal happened to stumble by, and she did not have any energy for any ninjutsu. Hunger continued to gnaw at her stomach, and there was nothing she could do about it.

After a long day of hardship, the snow child stumbled and fell into an icy snowbank. The cold stabbed her skin with a new found intensity, and she let out a wail of despair. Deprived of all weapons, energy and will to survive, the snow child relinquished her selfish thoughts and thought back to the people she honestly cared deeply about, back at the village.

Her memories flashed through her mind, stabbing holes in her heart over and over. They added more grief to her current situation, and reality came and smacked her right in the face.

I'm all alone, the snow child whispered to herself, in the midst of an emotional breakdown. I'm going to die all alone.

For a few minutes, the snow child sobbed to herself, knowing that no one would hear her but unable to stop the tears from coming. Her shoulders rocked violently as her emotions took control.

She lay there, curled in a ball hugging her knees to her chest, crying inaudibly.

Minutes later, her life slipped away, unnoticed, like a leaf falling from a tree.


	3. Deception

When the snow child woke, she was quite shocked to find herself looking at, well, herself. Or so it seemed. A lifeless snow child lay nearly a meter away, her empty eyes frozen shut and her skin turning a sickly blue. It was not something any ninja would like to see.

Looking down at her chest, she was once again shocked to see a chain attached to both of her bodies—the same chain, she noticed—that extended for a few meters before ending abruptly, as if someone had taken a sword and broken it. Another thing she noticed was her translucency.

The snow child knew what this meant, but her mind failed to grasp the concept of her death. Or, rather, her mind refused to admit its defeat.

No longer did the snow child consider herself to be one of the top kunoichi in her village. Instead, she was nothing but a child. A child that had strayed from the path of life one night for fun, without a lantern. Never again would the snow child be able to return to the path of life.

Not wanting to believe that she was really dead, the snow child dragged herself over to her other body. Gently, she caressed her other self's hair, shuddering at how cold her face was. Just to be sure, she checked for a pulse. Nothing.

The snow child—for, indeed, she really did feel like a child—had a sudden impulse to just lay there and cry all her troubles away, but she resisted, knowing that crying would get her nowhere.

Knowing that there was no going back, the snow child rose. Her surroundings were as bleak as ever, but she could always spend her life wandering. What a nice way to spend eternity. It's not like I have anywhere to go, she told herself, but then again I can't go anywhere anyway. I've been exiled from the only place I have ever called home.

And so the snow child wandered.

* * *

For days, it seemed like, the restless spirit of the snow child walked through the endless desert of snow. Nothing ever changed. The only colour she could see for miles was white.

A tiny black dot appeared on the horizon for the briefest of moments, and the ounce of hope it had brought forth was soon squashed and thrown away. Tears threatened to take over the snow child's vision, but were soon blown away by the vigorous winds.

She continued at her slow pace until nightfall, when she once again collapsed in the snow. Exhausted, she let her eyes flicker closed, wishing that her nightmare would end.

The next morning, voices started to appear over the wind.

"Hey, is that a soul?"

"Must be. Look at the chain."

"Well, you never know."

"Alright, up an' at 'em."

It was at that moment that the snow child was pulled to her feet and her unconsciousness slipped away from her. At first, she was dazed. Who were these figures, dressed completely in black? At a first glance, they could have been ninja... but after further observation, she realized that they couldn't be. Normal people couldn't see spirits, could they? No, she decided.

Then, a new emotion came to her. "What are you doing?" she shrieked, pulling her arms free from the strangers. Rage. "I had finally escaped this... this nightmare, and you had to go and bring me back?" Tears came to her eyes. "Am I destined to feel nothing but pain for all of eternity?"

The strangers glanced at each other for a moment. "By God, you're just a child! What are you doing out here?" asked one, clearly concerned.

"None of your business." the snow child snapped, turning to leave.

"You can't go out there," murmured the other. "You'll get eaten by Hollow. It'd be best if you came with us. We can bring you to a place where there won't be any pain or suffering."

The snow child had to admit, it was a tempting offer. But on the other hand, she had no idea who these people were. And everyone knows you're not supposed to go with strangers. Even if you were a top kunoichi in your village. As a result, she kept walking. "Leave me alone."

"Don't be so stubborn." groaned one of the strangers, exasperated. "We're Shinigami from a place called Soul Society. It's where souls go after they pass on for a pleasant afterlife. None of this "turning into Hollow that we'll have to hunt later" crap."

"If you refuse to go with us, not only will you put yourself at risk, we'll have to take you there forcefully. And we don't like to do that." added the other.

The snow child continued to distance herself from the strangers, torn between the so called "Soul Society" and the place she knew as home.

"Wait! At least let us explain to you what Soul Society is!" the Shinigami called, sprinting to catch up with her.

It can't hurt, she decided after a moment's hesitation. Knowledge is power, after all.

The snow child turned by 180 degrees to wait for the Shinigami to match her pace. Once she had completed her rotation, both Shinigami were already standing by her side and were smiling innocently. She was quite surprised to find that one of them had drawn their sword and had poked her in the forehead with the handle. As her forehead began to tingle, the world around her dissolved in a strange blue light, as well as the two Shinigami.

"Mission accomplished," said one, clearly triumphant.

Stupid Shinigami, she thought bitterly.


	4. Ambition

**Thanks once again to Karasu Chiyuki [1773215] for letting me borrow one of her characters. (the uber awesome captain at the end of this chapter)**

As the world around the snow child started to fade away, a new world she did not recognize came into view. The snow child's anger toward the shinigami subsided, and anxiety rushed in to fill the void.

People around her were chattering constantly, as if they did not notice the stranger that had just appeared in their world. A few people glanced up at her for a few moments, but looked away almost immediately, thinking nothing of her.

After a few minutes of just standing there, awestruck, she dragged herself over to an empty table and into one of the chairs. The snow child soon realized that she was in a restaurant, as a waitress hopped over to her table. After ordering a glass of water and a rice cake, the snow child settled down and quietly listened to the conversations of those around her.

* * *

"Have you heard? Apparently the eleventh squad is looking for someone to replace their fifth seat."

"Really? What happened to him?"

"I heard he died in the line of duty, or something."

"Man, that sucks. I'd totally try out if I could."

"You don't even have a sword. How do you expect to do that?"

"Hey, shut up! It's not like you have a sword either."

The snow child rose suddenly, having overheard a nearby conversation. Even though she'd only been in this world called Soul Society by some—Rukongai by others—but for this life, the snow child had already decided on her ambition.

In her past life, the snow child had been a very cold, withdrawn individual. She never cared to get to know her teammates or comrades, and had always had an attitude that said that she was superior. Never opening up, being the boss of everyone and everything; it was not a past she was proud of.

That is why the snow child decided she would change. Change her personality, her likes and dislikes, her overall attitude on life. The never-opening-up snow child would be gone. And from her past experiences, a newer, nicer, snow child would arise. One that would give anything to protect her friends. One that would help those in need, even if they were complete strangers. One who would break the rules if it meant doing what was right. A completely different snow child, she realized. But the transformation would be worth it.

Her decision absolute, the snow child strode toward the exit of the restaurant. What she did not plan on, however, was to crash into another soul. The snow child rose to her feet again, rubbing her head, and looked up at the figure she'd crashed into.

The figure was a female wearing a white cloak over a black kimono, with a sword sheathed at her side. The snow child instinctively recognized her as a captain from the discussions of the other customers in the restaurant. She noticed the black outline of a diamond on the captain's back, along with the number eleven written inside it.

_"__Watch it."_ the eleventh squad captain growled, stepping around and past the dazed snow child.

The restaurant fell silent.


	5. Acceptance

**Thanks again to Karasu Chiyuki for letting me borrow her characters. Too lazy to find her ID number again.**

"You mean to say that you followed me here, asking to replace my fifth seat, when you have absolutely no kidou experience at all?"

The snow child shrank back slightly at the harshness of the captain's words. "Well, not exactly..."

"What's your name, kid?" The captain asked, leaning forward, clearly irritated.

"Shi—" _I have no right to use the name of my Clan,_ she told herself quietly. "Umm.. Karasu. Karasu Yukiko."

The captain raised an eyebrow. "How interesting. And remind me again why you're oh, so qualified to be fifth seat?"

"Well, I'm a ninja from another world. I hail from the country of Snow, see. And while I don't have the slightest clue as to what kidou is—" The captain rolled her eyes, "—I'm pretty sure I can make up for it with nin- and genjutsu."

The lieutenant, whose name, along with the captain's, had yet to be revealed, looked around the room, uninterested. He appeared to be much younger than Yukiko, but if she was to get on the captain's good side, it would probably be best if she didn't bring the subject up.

The captain sighed, deciding what to do. The Captain-Commander would not be pleased with the fact that this child had not the slightest idea as to what kidou was, but she did possess a valuable skill; jutsu. Very few of the souls in Seireitei were ninjutsu users, but in a way it was equal to—and sometimes even surpassed—kidou.

After a few moments' consideration, the captain had made her decision. "Fine. Show us what you can do, kid."

The trio had already moved to the training grounds, where curious bystanders wouldn't be caught up in the demonstration and injured. Here they could practice as much as they wanted.

While Yukiko stood waiting in the middle of the field, the captain stood on the other, and her lieutenant waited silently on a ledge a few meters away. The captain waved her hand in a fashion that suggested she proceed, and Yukiko did just that.

With practiced precision, Yukiko weaved three hand signs—boar, dog, then rabbit—before finishing with a handsign the captain suspected was unique to her Clan. For a moment, nothing happened, but the kunoichi remained confident, and soon after it started to snow.

Snow was rather unusual in Seireitei, and the captain knew this. That meant that the snow was most likely part of the ninja's jutsu. The snowflakes gathered in five piles around the captain, eventually crystalizing into five versions of the captain herself.

"Snow clones." Yukiko explained, reading her opponent's thoughts. "Of the user's opponent. Whenever you try to attack, the snow clones will mimic the attack, and attack the opponent. "Clever, ne?"

The captain 's mouth twitched into a smile. When was the last time she had the opportunity to fight? "Clever, but not clever enough." she responded, unsheathing her sword.

* * *

"You're pretty good, kid." The captain said after a moment, panting slightly. "What did you say your name was, again?"

"Karasu Yukiko." she responded, out of breath from the effort as well. Assuming that the fight was over, she released the snow clones.

The captain sheathed her sword, and nodded. "I'm Kakushigoto Chiyuki. That's my lieutenant—" she waved her hand in the direction of the ledge, "—Akutenshi Ryuuza."

Yukiko turned her head in Ryuuza's direction. Even though the fight hadn't lasted long, he had watched with intense curiosity, like this was the most interesting thing he'd seen in a while.

Chiyuki paused to catch her breath, and Yukiko noticed that her normally raven-black hair had several white sparkles in it from the snow. She appeared to be very cold; her lips were a light blue, and the skin around her eyes appeared to be frostbitten. To add onto it all, Chiyuki's skin was abnormally pale. Yukiko wondered if she'd overdone it with her jutsu. _I wonder if she's a vampire._ she thought sheepishly, trying to hide her sudden smile.

When the captain finally looked back up at Yukiko, she noticed her piercing red eyes. "Yukiko, welcome to the squad."


End file.
